Mayan Chocolate Almonds

For those of you who missed my workshop on Saturday-- you missed out! But don't worry, I'll be posting many of the recipes here over the course of the week.

This one only takes a few minutes to make, and it's an awesome snack to serve guests, ideally with a hot cup of tea. These almonds will satisfy a chocolate craving, but they're only mildly sweet. The best part is spicy kick at the finish.

Mayan Chocolate Almonds

1 tablespoon coconut oil
2 tablespoons brown sugar

4 tablespoons maple syrup

1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 cups almonds
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 teaspoons vanilla
Water on standby
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon

• Heat the coconut oil in a medium saucepan, then add the maple syrup, brown sugar, spices, and vanilla.
• Add in the almonds, stirring until the almonds are completely coated, then add in the cocoa powder.
• Turn the almonds on a parchment-lined baking sheet and allow them to cool
• Mix the remaining cocoa powder and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl, or alternatively in a Ziplock bag. Once the almonds have cooled completely, toss them in the cocoa powder.

Roasted butternut squash and apple soup, with curry and sage

Here's a warming dish utilizing two fall ingredients: butternut squash and apples. If you don't have a soup course for a Thanksgiving yet, consider this. Otherwise, it's a great, filling meal any day of the week.

The majority of the cooking for this soup is done in the oven, then it's finished by blending it with stock. The most time-consuming parts are peeling and chopping the squash, and waiting while it roasts in the oven.

While the combination of curry and sage may sound strange, it really does work. The roasted garlic is necessary for balancing out the sweetness of the other ingredients.

Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

3 lbs sweet butternut  squash, peeled and chopped into cubes

1 yellow onion, sliced into eights

2 sweet apples (tart apples will make the soup taste sour), chopped

1/2 head of garlic, top sliced off

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tbsp chopped sage leaves

1 tbsp madras-style curry powder (or more if you like it really spicy)

Sea salt

Optional accompaniments: pan-fried pancetta or fresh cream.

• Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees.
• Toss the first five ingredients together with some salt in a large baking dish, and pop it in the oven.
• Allow the ingredients to roast for at least 40 minutes, until they become soft and begin to brown. Stir once halfway through the roasting time.
• Take the pan out of the oven, and add the roasted mixture to a medium sized pot. Be sure to peel the garlic before adding.
• Pour one quart of light chicken or vegetable stock in the pot, and just enough water to cover. Add the sage and curry powder, and turn on the heat.
• Simmer over low heat for just a few minutes--enough to meld the flavors, but not so much that your apples turn sour.
• Either puree the soup in a blender in batches, or with a stick blender.
• Adjust the flavor by adding more curry powder, salt or olive oil, and serve.

Green beans with lemon-poppyseed zing

Wait a second--Is it really the middle of November? I know this dish screams summer, but I found these beautiful beans dancing around the Hillcrest farmer's market today, November 20. What a miraculously long growing season we have, here in San Diego.

The lemons actually came from a public tree in my neighborhood whose wares are now overflowing onto the street. I'm sure that the people who live on that block are cursing the tree for taking up an entire a parking spot, but I'm happy as a peach that no one has trimmed its branches. (Am I the only person interested in local, organic lemons for FREE? )

Needless to say, when life hands me lemons, I jump for joy.  No lemonade yet, but I've already made several batches of lemon-scented oils and tapenades, among other things. Some are even being preserved, Moroccan-style, for later use.

Green Beans with Lemon-Poppyseed Zing

1 lb of green beans, trimmed

2 large lemons, zested and juiced

 2 tbsp chopped thyme

 2 tbsp white wine vinegar

 3 tbsp shallot-infused olive oil (the same effect can be achieved by slicing a shallot and heating it in the oil)

 3 tbsp poppyseeds

 Several generous grinds of black pepper

•  Toss the beans with a couple of teaspoons of sea salt, then steam them in a large pot.
• Combine the rest of the ingredients well.
• Add the beans to the vinaigrette along with the black pepper, and toss.
• Serve warm or cold, but allow the beans to marinate first, stirring every so often.

Event: Edible Holiday Gift-Making and Aperitivo

Attention last-minute gift scavengers: Mark your calendars! If you attend my demo you'll still have two weeks before Christmas to construct your own edible gifts. These projects are fun,  and they don't necessarily take a ton of time or skill to make.

Plus you'll get to taste everything--from a variety of pestos, tapenades and spreads to homemade chocolates and pralines.  Can you think of a better way to spend a Saturday afternoon?



What:  Edible Holiday Gift-Making Demo and Aperitivo

When: December 10, 3 to 5pm

Where:  Bamboo Lounge, 1475 University Ave., 92103 (Hillcrest)

How much: $17 RSVP before Dec. 5/ $20 after

What you get: Cooking instruction, oodles of samples, yummy tea, recipe booklet, and great drink specials.

RSVP via Facebook

 Alex over at Bamboo Lounge has agreed to host the event, and I can't imagine a better venue. The vibe is chill, the drinks are delish, and the Hillcrest crowd is both lively and sophisticated.

In one Saturday afternoon you'll learn how to make a variety of sweet and savory gifts with all natural ingredients (Diabetics beware, there will be some sugar involved.) All of the recipes are vegan and gluten free.

I'll also share with you ideas for elegant presentation,  including oragami box-making. Keep checking back here and on Facebook for updates. Just click the "Like" button. ;-)

Be sure to RSVP in advance, as space is limited. It'll also save you 8 bucks. Unable to RSVP via Facebook? Send me an e-mail instead.

Currently on the menu:

• Savory herb crackers


• Fig and kalmata olive tapenade


• Mexican hot chocolate spiced almonds


• Peppermint patties


• Almond butter cups

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Chopped brussel sprout stir-fry with cranberries and hazelnuts

Ah, brussel sprouts. A truly love-it-or-leave-it vegetable. For all you haters out there, I challenge you to try this recipe. It may just turn you into a lover.

My guess is that people who don't like brussel sprouts on their own are turned off by their overpowering cabbage smell. While steaming and boiling seem to intensify the noxious odor, other cooking methods seem to make it less offensive.

Your best bet: Don't use water to cook them, and dress them up in a melange of sweet, tart and savory flavors.  You won't even know that you're eating a vegetable.

In this recipe it is the texture, rather than the smell of the brussel sprouts that shines through. By coarsely chopping them and stir-frying them in an iron skillet, they get a nice golden sear instead of becoming mushy. Crispy shallots, plump cranberries, and toasted hazelnuts make this side dish seriously addicting--and perfect for your Thanksgiving day table.

 Chopped Brussel Sprout Stir-fry

2 large shallots, sliced into thin rings

1/4 cup olive oil

1 lb brussel sprouts, sliced into circles, then chopped into thirds

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1/2 one large orange, juiced

1/4 cup whole raw hazelnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped

salt and pepper

• Steam the cranberries for a couple of minutes to re-hydrate them. Turn off the heat and set aside.
•  Heat the oil in the pan over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook them until they start to brown.
• Add the brussel sprouts and stir--but not too much, you want them to get a nice golden sear.
• Once the brussel sprouts are nearly cooked to perfection, add the orange juice, cranberries and hazelnuts. Cook and stir for a couple minutes more.
• Turn off the heat. Now would be a great time to drizzle a little hazelnut oil.